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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28888398">worth less, worthless</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/komugungi/pseuds/komugungi'>komugungi</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, No Smut, They r in LOVE, armin isn't exactly happy in this but you get the point, armin's kinda insecure, armin's parents aren't mentioned much but they're jerks, isayama won't let them be happy so i did it myself, my god why is tagging so hard</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 08:47:09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,102</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28888398</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/komugungi/pseuds/komugungi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Armin…?” Armin flinched as Eren poked him with his finger. “What’s going on? Are you okay?” Armin felt Eren sitting down on the bed.</p><p>“Did something happen?” Eren’s voice was filled with concern.</p><p>----</p><p>Armin fails a test and Eren's there to comfort him</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Armin Arlert/Eren Yeager</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>155</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>worth less, worthless</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This was kind of rushed but I can't spend anymore time on this so it is what it is</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Armin sat on his bed, filled with nervousness. He had gotten a test marked, and was worried about the result. He knew that he usually did well, but even so, he couldn’t help being anxious. He didn’t want his average to be lowered, not only for his own good, but because of an underlying fear of failure.</p><p>Armin took a deep breath. All of his friends thought that he’d do well, and they couldn’t be wrong, could they? Choosing to believe that, Armin took the marked test from his backpack and looked at his grade.</p><p>Armin stared at the grade for a few moments. There must have been some mistake, he told himself, he couldn’t have gotten that mark. And yet, the 45% on his page stayed there, as if it was mocking him. Armin’s vision began to blur as tears came to his eyes. He failed. His friends thought he could do it, everyone thought he could do it, and yet, he failed. What would they think when they found out? What would his parents think? He couldn’t let anyone know. He couldn’t. But what would he do when his friends asked to compare their marks? Wouldn’t they notice that something was wrong if he refused to tell them? Was there anything he could do?</p><p>Armin put his test on his bedside table, then laid down and wrapped himself in blankets. After that, he cried. After a few minutes, he heard someone enter his house. At first, he thought it was his grandpa, but then Armin remembered that his grandpa was already home. Subsequently, he remembered that Eren was supposed to come over that day. Armin’s eyes widened. What was he supposed to do now? He couldn’t speak to Eren, his voice would give away that he was crying, so how could he get Eren to go home before he could see him-</p><p>There was a knock on Armin’s door. “Hey Armin, your grandpa let me in the house. Can I come in?”</p><p>Armin was silent. He covered his mouth with his hand in an attempt to keep himself from making any noise. He pulled the blankets over his head and hoped that Eren would somehow decide to leave, however, Armin was never that lucky.</p><p>“Armin? What are you doing in there? I’m coming in now, alright?” Armin heard the door open as footsteps came near him.</p><p>“Armin…?” Armin flinched as Eren poked him with his finger. “What’s going on? Are you okay?” Armin felt Eren sitting down on the bed.</p><p>“Did something happen?” Eren’s voice was filled with concern. At that moment, Armin couldn’t possibly imagine what he could’ve done to deserve being loved by someone like Eren. He felt horrible. Eren would be disappointed when he found out about his grade, wouldn’t he? Armin felt like a failure. No… maybe it wasn’t just that he felt like a failure. Maybe he was a failure. At least, that’s what Armin thought, as illogical as it may be.</p><p>“Hey, I’m starting to get worried…” Eren said softly. “Can you talk to me? Even if I can’t do anything to make whatever happened better, I could listen to you, if you want.” After a moment of silence, Eren spoke again. “Armin, please.”</p><p>Armin sniffled. As much as he hated the idea of Eren seeing him like this, he didn’t want to cause him to worry. Although he wasn’t sure whether seeing him would console Eren or cause him to worry more, Armin sat up and took the blanket off of his face, leaving it wrapped around his body. Upon seeing Eren’s concerned expression, Armin beginned to worry that he made the wrong choice.</p><p>“What happened? Did someone hurt you? Armin, what’s wrong?” Eren asked question after question. By then, Armin had calmed down slightly. Tears still streamed down his face, but he didn’t have to make an effort to continue crying silently, aside from the occasional hiccup or sob. Armin felt pathetic.</p><p>Eren shifted forward and gently wiped the tears from Armin’s eyes in an attempt to comfort him. He moved his hand so he could cup Armin’s cheek as he did. Armin looked away, then Eren pulled him into a hug. Eren rubbed Armin’s back as he tried to sooth him, saying things that he hoped would comfort him as he did.</p><p>“It’ll be okay.” Eren whispered. “It’s fine if you cry.” And so, Armin cried as long as he felt the need to. Eventually, Armin’s tears subsided and he spoke to Eren, thinking that he deserved an explanation.</p><p>“It was the test.” Armin said quietly. Eren pulled away from the hug, and because of that, Armin averted his eyes again, too ashamed to look at him. “I failed. I mean, I got a failing mark, and I was thinking about how our friends would feel, and how you would feel, and how my parents would feel, and it kind of just… ended up with me like this.”</p><p>Eren was silent, so Armin continued.</p><p>“I don’t know, it was just… at first I was upset about the mark, then at some point, I started to think about how everyone else would see me. Then I wondered what good was I if I wasn’t good at anything, and I know that it’s stupid, but I started to think that maybe I didn’t deserve to be close to anyone, if I was worthless.”</p><p>There was a moment of silence as Eren thought about what Armin said before he replied.</p><p>“I know I’m not the best when it comes to words,” Eren mummered, “but you aren’t worthless, even if you failed that test. There’s more to you than just your marks, you know? It won’t change how our friends think about you, and it won’t change how I think about you.”</p><p>“But my parents…”</p><p>“If something as simple as a failed test changes how they see you, then that’s their fault, not yours.”</p><p>Armin smiled. “Okay. Thank you, Eren.” He whispered, beginning to tear up again.</p><p>“Armin-”</p><p>“It’s fine this time” Armin laughed softly. “I’m just a little emotional, okay?”</p><p>Eren smiled then pulled Armin into a hug again, nuzzling his cheek. “We could ask Mr. Smith if he’d let you redo the test, if that would make you feel better.”</p><p>“Yeah. I will.”</p><p>“I love you, Armin.”</p><p>A blush made its way to Armin’s face. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to you saying that.”</p><p>“I guess I could be okay with that. You’re pretty cute when you get flustered.”</p><p>“Eren!”</p><p>Eren kissed Armin's cheek. “Love you, Min.”</p><p>“I love you too.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>and then they lived happily ever after because this isn't the manga</p></blockquote></div></div>
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